Our Approach

The early Christian church affirmed the sanctity of every human life, not only insisting with the Hippocratic tradition that physicians should not provide abortions, but offering alternatives to killing children. For instance, the Didache, a first century church manual, prohibited both abortion and infanticide. Beyond that, early Christians rescued children from infanticide by providing homes for them and building orphanages for their care. 

In taking on human flesh in his incarnation, Jesus confirmed the importance of human embodiment. Moreover, St. Paul reminded Christians that human bodies are temples of the Holy Spirt through which to honor God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). At the same time, he taught that human mortal bodies are temporary “jars of clay” and will one day be transformed into permanent resurrected bodies (2 Corinthians 4:7-5:5). Therefore, we should neither do harm to our bodies nor worship them, but pursue whole-person health in the context of a fallen world. Likewise, we should neither fear death nor hasten it. 

Christians have always been at the cutting-edge of science, medicine, and biotechnology. Because we believe that all truth is God’s truth, there is no arena that should be excluded from the Lordship of Christ, including the biological sciences. At the same time, Christians are “People of the Book” and bring a decidedly Christian world and life view—including ethical perspectives—into their thinking about science. A fallen world cannot afford the development of science without robust ethical reflection. 

Ethical reflection must be developed in the context of accurate information. Therefore, Christians should see it as an expression of their discipleship to celebrate biological sciences that enable us to understand better just how fearfully and wonderfully made we are (Psalm 139:14). We should seek to be good stewards over the opportunities that these developments offer. At the same time, Christians should affirm that science is to serve the glory of God and the good of his creatures, not provide yet another opportunity for idolatry. 

Christians must continue to demonstrate love for God and neighbor that extends itself in compassionate care of those who are suffering. Admittedly, Greeks and Romans made great contributions in medicine from the Fifth Century BC to the Third Century AD. The period commences with Hippocrates of Kos (460-370 AD) and ends with the Roman physician Galen (129-199 AD). However, the next great phase of medical history begins at the end of the fourth century, with the founding of the first Christian hospital at Caesarea in Cappadocia. This extraordinarily formative period in medicine was characterized by intimate involvement by the Church. As missionaries evangelized the peoples of Western and Northern Europe, the Church found itself in a constant battle against the use of magic and superstition in the work of healing. She engaged the healing arts not least because her founder, Jesus of Nazareth, healed the sick during his ministry (cf. Matthew. 9; 10:8; 25:34-36). The early Church not only endorsed medicine but also championed care for the sick. 

 St. Basil of Caesarea founded the first hospital (c. 369). Christian hospitals grew apace, spreading throughout both the East and the West. By the mid-1500s there were 37,000 Benedictine monasteries alone that cared for the sick. 

Furthermore, as Charles Rosenberg shows in his volume, The Care of Strangers: The Rise of America’s Hospital System, the modern hospital owes its origins to Judeo-Christian compassion. Evidence of the vast expansion of faith-based hospitals is seen in the legacy of their names: St. Vincent’s, St. Luke’s, Mt. Sinai, Presbyterian, Mercy, and Beth Israel. These were all charitable hospitals, some of which began as foundling hospitals to care for abandoned children.

 Similarly, in Europe, great hospitals were built under the auspices of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Indeed, an ancient French term for hospital is hôtel-Dieu (“hostel of God”). In 1863, the Société Genevoise d’Utilité Publique called on Swiss Christian businessman Jean Henri Dunant to form a relief organization for caring for wartime wounded. Thus, the emblem of the Red Cross was codified in the Geneva Convention one year later. 

 British Anglican, Dame Cicely Saunders founded the hospice movement by establishing St. Christopher’s Hospice in the south of London in 1967. Her work emphasized the care of those who are at the end of life. Christians wrote important treatises on this topic, including the Ars Moriendi (The Art of Dying) in the late medieval period and the Anglican Jeremy Taylor’s Rules and Exercise for Holy Dying in the 17^th century. 

This brief history is shared to give you context towards the work and ministry that will be required in the future. While we have a strong tradition to inspire us, we must find courage to speak God’s truth as bioethics in the years to come will demand even more from us. Genetic modification, life-extension technologies, transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and other emerging biotechnologies demand our best theological reflection and most faithful pastoral leadership.